


A Man of Many Secrets

by Subvertta



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Crack, Gen, and chocobos, many many chocobos, thats all this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-02-05 07:36:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12789849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Subvertta/pseuds/Subvertta
Summary: Ardyn holds many secrets, never letting on even so much as a hit to friend or foe. Astrals unfortunately dictate that it would be the poor innocent Prompto to discover what the man is truly hiding from the world.





	A Man of Many Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> so basically i hate discord yeah? 
> 
> i'll be sorry about this when i wake up tomorrow cause let me tell ya i'm only powered up on a solid 4 hours of sleep and a rockstar i had like 17 hours ago
> 
> alt title: Man of Many Sekwehts

Prompto sat in unease, every muscle of his body tense doing little work to hide any of his concern towards their new… Companion. Every thought always trailed to this strange older man who had previously introduced himself as Ardyn. Could one truly blame him when nothing seemed normal about him? His attire would be far too extravagant practically designed to draw attention to himself, voice a deep drawl if not just as flamboyant as his dress. From just a quick glance alone he deduced there were at least three layers on the man, not counting the nigh oversized coat. 

 

Despite the four friends made a promise to always be wary of their strange new friend, Prompto was left to his own devices watching over the man solo. He’d make sure to never let those jerks here the end of it. Not when every little gesture from the other man had him ready to call forth his pistol, even if from the most subtle of gestures. Astrals, everything about his mannerisms had his mind screaming at him there was something off. 

 

_ But what was that something?  _ Every segment of his brain whether pure instincts or reason knew Ardyn was holding some secret back. Something vile, perhaps an intent to hurt his friends in their sleep, or maybe just hurt  _ him  _ while everyone else had gone off Astral’s know where.Prompto dared to tear his eyes off the man for even just a moment to text Noctis his complaints. A very strongly worded text and maybe a will. One could never be too sure. 

 

Halfway through furious typing and a sudden thud had Prompto jump in his seat, quickly turning to its source with a yelp. 

 

The man he had fretting over now lay face down against the floor. He stared a bit longer, feeling more reluctant to check the body. Blue hues scanned Ardyn, searching for any movement, even so much as gentle rising of his chest. Not even the twitch of a finger. 

 

“Hey man, you alri-”

 

A little cry cut of his words. No, not a human cry. That was unmistakably the little chirp of a chocobo. A  _ baby.  _ Just as he thought this was some auditory hallucination spawned from paranoia, a fat baby chocobo peeped from under Ardyn’s sleeve before trotting out with another cute little kweh. The little creature ruffled up some feathers before walking off not too far away exploring the new surroundings. 

 

Wait.

 

_ A baby chocobo? _

 

The blonde rubbed his eyes and blinked. No, the little chick was still there, now pecking at the ground shaking it’s butt. Before his brain could hope to make sense of the situation, another little chocobo appeared seemingly out of the blue from under the sleeve. And another. And another. Soon, the old man was swarmed by a myriad of different coloured chocobos, all of which came from just his sleeve alone. Slowly Ardyn grunted, crawling up to his hands and knees slowly coming back to his senses. Slurred grumbles spilled from his lips, his left hand reaching up hiding away a portion of his face.

 

“Oh dear, what have we here?” He sits on his knees, picking up the closest little baby in his hands. It pecks at his fingers and he laughs. The chocobo proceeds to ruffle up its feathers and snuggle down in his palms. It let out a disappointed peep upon being gently placed back down to join its supposed family. Unexpectedly, Ardyn turned his head to face the blonde with a sinister grin. “It seems you discovered my secret, little one.” 

 

A fiendishly dark aura surrounded the man, leaving the soft kwehs as the world’s last shred of innocence. 

 

“Go on, tell your friends.” the previously honey veiled voice turned sinister, etching fear into Prompto’s heart. “They’ll never believe you.” 

 

Prompto watched, breath hitching in his throat leaving only whimpers to leave him as Ardyn slowly rose. The boy could only watch his nightmarish aura choke out any last breath left in his lungs. With one fluid swipe of his arm, he tipped his hat revealing a single ridiculously fat chocobo. It perched among the mess of wine red hair, sitting with the confidence of a king. 

 

Only once Ardyn took a step forward did the blonde’s instincts finally kick in Rather, his mind cried at his body to break for it, run as far as his legs and lungs could carry him and search for his friends. Instead neither legs nor arms moved, paralysed where he sat. His visage was left contorted in terror, watching the large man stride forward. He stopped just at the edge of the seat and bent down, careful not to tip the baby chocobo off his head. 

 

A hand found its way to Prompto’s cheeks, squishing them together forcing him to tilt his head up to face both Ardyn and the chick. Whatever skin exposed by the fingerless felt like ice against his skin, leaving his skin crawling dreadfully in contact. Sunshine eyes glared down, with a second pair of curious beady black from atop his head. 

 

“What do you have to say to his highness, boy?” Ardyn ever so gently tilted his head to the side, and the chocobo followed suite tilting its head the opposite direction. 

 

The black chocobo stared down at Prompto, and he stared back. The very void tugged at his soul, threatening to tear it out of his body. He opened his mouth, trying to form words to please the true king of Eos but instead all that that would come out was a broken scream.

 

His entire body jolted. His world turned into a festering blur, all details becoming nothing more than colourful blobs. He scratched the back of his neck letting out a groan. With a few blinks his world was slowly turning back to normal, or rather his new perception of what was normal. Baby chocobos- 

 

The babies! 

 

Prompto jerked his head to where he had previously seen Ardyn surrounded by the many little babies, only to find it barren. In fact, not even the man lay on the ground. Instead he was sitting opposite of him, staring with mouth hanging agape as if previous words were left cut off. Slowly the boy realised his friends were near, and instead of watching their new companion for any hint of ill intent they were facing him. Concern painted their visage, all except for Ardyn who seemed confused more than anything.

 

“Ah, finally you awaken! Here I thought you would be out like a light.” there was that dangerously sweet voice, though his mind couldn’t help but still clinging to the dream’s rather darker tone. 

 

“You alright?” Noctis gave his shoulder a slap before letting his palm linger on him. 

 

Prompto turned to his friend sitting beside him, blue hues wide open relieved to finally have the comfort of a close friend close by. “Dude, I had the strangest dream.” Prompto reached to scratch the back of his head a second time, ruffling his hair, “Ardyn had like… I dunno forty? Little chocobos in his sleeves. They wouldn’t stop coming they were everywhere.  _ And _ he had a black one under his hat!” 

 

Ardyn squinted, lips gently parted in search of a retort. “How ridiculous.” He hummed. 

 

“It was a  _ King _ . No, the king of all Eos!” 

 

“What.” Noctis stared at the other, features finally abandoning their concern. Instead he stared with a lopsided grin and a raised brow. “Sounds like you need to go to bed.” 

 

He slowly nodded, letting his arm fall down on the table with a thud. “I suppose, yeah.” He couldn’t help but sneak a quick glance at Ardyn. A shiver ran down his spine. That was the smile of a man who knew more than he was letting on. What if that ridiculous fedora truly held the King of Eos, a fat black chocobo? What if-

 

No, no, that’s too silly. Prompto shook his head in vain attempt to chase off the thoughts. Bed it was for him. “I’m gonna call it a night guys.” He slowly stood up and walked off, dragging his feet against the ground finding his energy all but gone from his body. Astrals did he yearn for that bed, despite the fear of his dream haunting his otherwise normal dreams. 

  
  



End file.
